William heney stevens



(No Model.) 4 d, W. H. STEVENS.'

BOUT 0R SHOE.

Patented July 3l, 1888 Wwsses: l dan @M CMQ/r 525mm gi-wu PML- N, PETERS. Phommhngmpner. wningwn. 0,6.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

WILLIAM HENRY STEVENS, OF LEIOESTER, COUNTY OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,120I dated July 31, 1888.

Application tiled January 24, 1588. Serial No. 261.815. (No model.) Patented in England October 25J, 1885, No. 13,033.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY Sra VENs, of Leicester, in the county of Leicester, England, a subject of Victoria,Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lawn-Tennis and other Boots or Shoes, (for which I have received Letters Patent in England No. 13,033, October 29, 1885,) of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

Heretofore it has been customary to prepare rubber outsoles for attachment by sewing to the uppers and insoles of boots or shoes by attaching to each sole a leather rim, or by securing it to a leather outer or middle sole or welt before sewing it to the insole, and to provide a sole which may be attached directly to the edge of the upper and to the insole by seW- ing, and at t-he same time avoid the danger of the stitches cutting through the india-rubber as they are sewed orin wear. I have adopted the construction represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a shoe having the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are sections of the outsole.

In the drawings, A is the upper, B the ilusole, and A the outsole, of rubber or rubber compound. In thc interior of the outsole A is a sheet, a, of strong canvas or wire-gauze or such like material, and on the surface of the sole next the Lipper B is placed a similar sheet, c', of like strong canvas, Wireegauze, or like material, and this construction affords snfcientstiffness and toughness to enable the sole to be readily sewed to the boot or shoe Without puckering or puffing up in the center, and furnishes a sufficientsupport to the stitches a? and prevent their cutting through or tearing the sole in wear. The rubber or rubber compound, preferably, is vulcanized to the sheets a a', of strong canvas, wire-gauze, or other similar material, so as to effecta strong union between them.

The rubber sole is attached to the insole and upper by stitches ed, which pass through the sole, the edge of the upper, and the insole.

By the use of soles constructed as above described I avoid the expense of finishing the edges, which is necessary when leather is eur ployed in connection with the rubber, as above specified.

I would say that in lieu of the canvas or wiregauze a there may be used any other cloth or brous material suitable for the purpose; but the material used must have fiexibility, and must have strength sufficient to hold the stitches or prevent them from being drawn through the rubber.

Having thus fully described my invention, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesy I. A sole constructed of rubber compound, with a sheet,a,of strong canvas or wire-gauze or such like material in the interior thereof, and another sheet, a', of similar material on the surface next to the upper, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purposes stated.

2. Alawn-tennis or other boot or shoe having a sole of rubber compound, with a sheet, ct, of strong canvas or wire-gauze or Such like material in the interior thereof, and another sheet, a', of similar material on the surface next to the upper united to the insole and edge of the upper by stitches, as and for the purposes described.

VILLIAM HENRY STEVENS.

Vitnesses:

W. P. SANsoM,

Mowmacre Hill, Belt/rane. RICHARD E. HEIoH,

3. St. Stwozms Hill, Leicester. 

